Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Uzi Silber <uzisilber AT gmail.com>]

Andronic,

I didnt suspect any ploytheism here. I was just wondering about the
plural singular plural switch. I thought it might have been a scribal
error.  Thinking about it again, I wonder if the Masorets had changed
what was once plural into singular.

וַיֹּאמַר:  אֲדֹנָי, אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ--אַל-נָא
תַעֲבֹר, מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ.   יֻקַּח-נָא מְעַט-מַיִם, וְרַחֲצוּ
רַגְלֵיכֶם; וְהִשָּׁעֲנוּ, תַּחַת הָעֵץ.   וְאֶקְחָה פַת-לֶחֶם
וְסַעֲדוּ לִבְּכֶם, אַחַר תַּעֲבֹרוּ--כִּי-עַל-כֵּן עֲבַרְתֶּם,
עַל-עַבְדְּכֶם;

Yigal,

Perhaps the Tiberians changed 'taavroo' to 'taavor' and 'avdechem' to
'avdecha'.  This would have required only a bit of 'nip and tuck'.
That would have kept it all plural.

Uzi Silber

On Fri, Nov 4, 2011 at 8:42 AM, Andronic Khandjani
<andronicusmy AT gmail.com> wrote:
> Abraham is speaking with the Memra and 2 Angels. After a while, the Memra
> remained with him as 2 other Angels left. The context is enough clear and
> there is not any sign of polytheism.
>
> 2011/11/4 Uzi Silber <uzisilber AT gmail.com>
>>
>> My 8 year old son is studying Breisheet (Genesis) 18 in school, the
>> story of Abraham and the three visitors. In it Abraham addresses them
>> as 'adonay' (plural of adonee -- 'gentlemen' essentially). but then he
>> suddenly changes to singular, as if he's addressing a single person.
>> He then reverts back to plural.
>>
>> Now Im suspect that the devout would say that this means he realized
>> that the malakhim were angels and that they were essentially god's
>> reps, and thats why he addresses them in singular.
>>
>> But how would nondevout biblical scholars explain this
>> plural-singular-plural switch? scribal mistake?
>>
>> Uzi Silber
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 3, 2011 at 10:02 PM, K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Firouz:
>> >
>> > Yes, in this verse, אחד refers to God.
>> >
>> > Karl W. Randolph.
>> >
>> > On Thu, Nov 3, 2011 at 12:23 AM, Andronic Khandjani
>> > <andronicusmy AT gmail.com>wrote:
>> >
>> >> Karl,
>> >>
>> >> Thank you for your answer.I would be interested to have your
>> >> translation
>> >> if  אחד   refers to God.
>> >>
>> >> Firouz Khandjani
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
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>> >
>
>